Roller Bender
I end up building things to build other things. This is one of those. I need to be able to bend steel, right now the target is 1/4" x 2 inches and about 16 feet long. Now bending steel is easy if it bent on the flat side. I am trying to bend it the hard way. For a home shop I would rather pick up a Hassfeld Bender. Or build one. The problem is all the parts needed to bend on the flat is really pricey. Finding them used is even worst. The home shop builds are in full swing in the mid-west. After a year of looking... only to find them for more then my budget will allow. So, I am building the roller bender.
The 5 inch rounds are being used as the inside roller with a 1/4 shelf cut to reduce the diameter to 3 1/2 with a hole for the shaft at 1 5/8. I as cut some of the 5" rounds into 1/2 thick washers. So that is the inner and outer. I also found at some sprocket blanks used to weld chain sprockets too. These will get cut down to be used as spacer between the two 5” rollers for the steel being bent to ride on.
The only thing I have not address is bending angle iron and how to keep the metal strait as it runs on the rollers. I still haven’t finished the guide rollers design. I guess I will need to figure that out soon.
The only thing I have not address is bending angle iron and how to keep the metal strait as it runs on the rollers. I still haven’t finished the guide rollers design. I guess I will need to figure that out soon.